American Medicine God: Starting by Inheriting a Pharmaceutical Company and Selling Medicine

While Detroit's fury made headlines, on Wall Street, the war was still measured in real money.

Despite the public outcry, Sakura Pharmaceuticals' offensive did not weaken; instead, it became even more frantic in its desperation. Kenji Tanaka seemed determined to create a fait accompli before the US government could officially intervene.

In the conference room on the top floor of the Water Tower.

Seated around a long, mahogany conference table were twelve board members of Walter Pharmaceuticals. They represented Wall Street hedge funds, the California Teachers' Retirement System (CalPERS), and certain clandestine Jewish family trusts.

On the projection screen at the far end of the conference room, a red curve is approaching a black warning line.

14.6%.

Victor sat in the chairman's seat.

"Sakura Pharmaceuticals is buying up shares in the secondary market faster than we expected." Sol stood next to Victor and slammed a thick document on the table. "According to SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) rules, once they hold more than 15% of the shares, Kenji Tanaka has the right to call an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders and forcibly reorganize the board of directors."

"In other words," Victor coldly surveyed everyone present, "in 48 hours, the person sitting in my seat might be a Japanese man who only knows how to bow and commit seppuku."

"Victor, what can we do?" A gray-haired director wiped the sweat from his brow. He was the manager of a large fund. "Their offer is a 30% premium, and many small shareholders are already wavering. It's an irresistible temptation from a financial model perspective."

“Yes, perhaps…perhaps accepting the acquisition isn’t such a bad thing?” another director representing the pension fund tentatively suggested, his eyes gleaming. “After all, it’s a good opportunity to cash out. We can use the cash to invest in emerging high-tech companies.”

A murmur of agreement rippled through the conference room. For capital, there are no national or personal grudges, only the internal rate of return (IRR).

Victor spoke only after the discussion had subsided.

Do you know why the Roman Empire fell?

"Because when the barbarian army was at the city gates, the Senate was still debating whether peace could be bought with gold coins. They thought money was omnipotent, but forgot that in the face of swords, gold coins are merely spoils of war."

His eyes turned ferocious.

"But I am not the Senate. I am Caesar."

Victor snapped his fingers.

Saul immediately projected a complex chart onto the projector, filled with intricate shareholding structures and triggering mechanisms.

"What is this?" someone asked.

"This is a gift for Kenji Tanaka," Victor said with a bloodthirsty smile. "I call it—a shareholder equity plan. Or, to use a more common name: a poison pill."

"Simply put," Victor stood up and pointed to the screen, "this is an anti-takeover strategy. We've set the trigger line at 15%. Once the hostile acquirer, namely Sakura Pharmaceuticals, reaches that percentage of shares, the poison pill will automatically detonate."

"At that time, all existing shareholders except Sakura Pharmaceuticals will have the right to purchase one newly issued share of the company at half price. This is equivalent to diluting wine with water. Sakura Pharmaceuticals' 15% stake will be diluted to 5% or even less in an instant."

"He wants to control Water? Fine. But he'll have to buy up this endless stream of new shares. He wants to get drunk? He'll have to drink the entire Pacific Ocean."

The conference room was deathly silent.

The knowledgeable director's face turned deathly pale instantly.

"Are you insane!" The pension fund representative jumped to his feet. "Once the poison pill plan is activated, it will infinitely dilute equity! This isn't just targeting the Japanese; it's devaluing everyone's assets!"

"That's right," Victor said calmly.

"But that will also cause the stock price to plummet!" another director roared, veins bulging on his neck. "Our assets will shrink by half! Wall Street will kill us! My clients will sue me into bankruptcy!"

"I'd rather burn the company to ashes than be swallowed up by the Japanese."

"Listen, if Sakura Pharmaceuticals succeeds, do you think you'll get the money? Don't be naive. They'll use financial means to transfer the assets away, leaving you with a pile of bad debts. And don't forget the current public opinion. If you sell the company to the Japanese, tomorrow your doorstep will be blocked by angry truck drivers."

"But that will ruin us too!" The board members began to protest, their angry shouts filling the conference room.

"No, this won't destroy you." Victor's voice turned icy cold. "What will truly destroy you is what I'm about to say."

Saul took another document from his briefcase, a draft patent assignment agreement written entirely in English.

"This is a contingency plan for 'Scorched Earth'."

Victor took the document and tossed it into the center of the table.

"If the board does not approve the poison pill plan today, or if Sakura Pharmaceuticals successfully takes over, I will exercise my special powers as CEO and sign this agreement at the last second before I leave. This agreement will permanently license OxyContin and all core patents in the pipeline to a shell company in the Cayman Islands for $1."

"And you all know who controls that company without me saying."

The room erupted in uproar. It was as if a bomb had exploded in the conference room.

"You can't do this! It's illegal!" The director representing the family trust trembled with rage, pointing his finger at Victor's nose. "This is treachery! This is blatant robbery of shareholder rights! We're going to sue you! We're going to put you in federal jail!"

"That's right! If you dare sign this, we'll blacklist you on Wall Street! You'll be ruined! No company will dare hire you again!"

"Sue me? Ban me?"

Victor sneered, walked around the conference table, and stood in front of the director.

"By the time the court verdict is handed down, Walter Pharmaceuticals will be a corpse. As for disgrace? If I lose this war, do I care about my reputation?"

He looked around, his eyes like those of a hungry wolf.

"If the Japanese win, all they'll get is an empty shell. A bunch of dilapidated factories and thousands of angry workers. No patents, no value. The stocks you hold will truly become worthless paper."

Victor sat back down in his chair and lit a cigarette.

"Now, you only have two paths before you."

"First, through the poison pill plan. Although the stock price will plummet temporarily, the company is still in our hands. As long as the patents remain and the market exists, the stock price will eventually recover. You'll just make less money temporarily."

"Second, refuse me. Then watch me press the 'Coke button,' and we'll all die together. I guarantee you won't get a single cent."

The board members exchanged bewildered glances. Looking at the man sitting behind the smoke, they felt a chill run down their spines.

This man is risking his life.

These respectable people in suits and drinking red wine are most afraid of these reckless lunatics. It's like how those who wear shoes are afraid of those who are barefoot, and those who are barefoot are afraid of those who are reckless.

Five minutes later.

"Alright, Victor. You win." The gray-haired director slumped down. "We support the poison pill plan."

The vote begins with a show of hands.

Thor counted the raised arms one by one, his heart trembling.

"Twelve votes in favor. Zero votes against."

"pass."

Victor breathed a sigh of relief, his tense nerves finally relaxing. He glanced out the window; the snowstorm had stopped, but the sky remained overcast.

"Sol, send the announcement to the SEC immediately. Then rebook my flight to Washington."

Victor stood up and straightened his tie.

"We've blocked the door at home; now it's time to go to the front lines and kill the enemy."

...

The NYSE opened the following morning.

Wotech Pharmaceuticals issued an announcement: launching a "Shareholder Equity Plan".

Wall Street was instantly in an uproar.

On the screen, VGT Pharmaceuticals' (VGT) stock price plummeted like a kite with a broken string. The red numbers flashed wildly, each jump representing the evaporation of millions of dollars.

$80... $60... $45...

The trading floor was filled with groans. Countless traders frantically waved their order forms, trying to sell, and the telephones rang incessantly.

Meanwhile, at the North American headquarters of Sakura Pharmaceuticals on the other side of Manhattan.

Kenji Tanaka, seeing the green plummeting curve on the TV screen, angrily smashed the blue-and-white porcelain teacup in his hand on the ground.

"Baka!!!"

Shards flew everywhere. Tanaka Kenji then abruptly overturned the mahogany coffee table in front of him.

"A poison pill... He actually dared to eat a poison pill! Is he insane?!"

Kenji Tanaka trembled with rage, his chest heaving. As an elite manager nurtured by the Japanese zaibatsu system, he was accustomed to rules, hierarchy, and rational business dealings. He couldn't comprehend Victor's ruthless, all-or-nothing tactics. This was completely beyond anything he had learned about at Harvard Business School.

Sakura Pharmaceuticals is now facing an extremely awkward situation: they have already invested hundreds of millions of dollars and hold a 14.8% stake. If they continue to buy, the poison pill will be triggered, their shares will be diluted indefinitely, and their money will be wasted; if they withdraw now, the huge paper losses caused by the stock price crash will be enough to make them commit seppuku.

Dilemma.

"President..." The assistant nervously handed over a hot towel, "It's a call from Tokyo headquarters... Mr. Mitsui is very angry and is questioning why this situation has arisen."

Kenji Tanaka took a deep breath, took the towel, and vigorously wiped his face, trying to calm himself down.

Anger solves nothing.

He walked to the window and looked at the towering Water Tower in the distance, the prey he had originally been determined to obtain.

"Mr. Corleone, do you think this will scare me away?"

Kenji Tanaka's eyes gradually turned sinister, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue in the dark.

"Since we can't beat you with the rules of business, let's change the rules."

He turned to his assistant and said, "Prepare the car. To K Street."

"K Street?" The assistant paused, then asked, "Who are we looking for?"

K Street is Washington’s famous lobbying street, home to some of the most powerful lobbyists and law firms in the country.

"Find those who truly hold the reins in this country," Kenji Tanaka said coldly. "Since he instigated a mob in Detroit, I'll instigate the elites in Washington."

"Get me in touch with the Patton Boggs lobbying firm. Tell them I have a big deal. A huge deal about how to use the Sherman Antitrust Act to break up a monopoly!"

"Since I can't buy Vought Pharmaceuticals, I'll dismantle it. I'll get the U.S. Department of Justice to sue Vought Pharmaceuticals for antitrust violations. I'll break OxyContin out of their hands."

You may have your brilliant plans, but I have my own ways to overcome them!